'Attack Of The Show' Producers Sue NBCUniversal & G4

G4’sAttack Of The Show has been hit by attack of the producers. Three segment producers (two former and one current) are bringing a class action suit (read it here) against the G4 Network and its owner NBCUniversal Media over pay, classification and unfair business practices on the live daily tech and pop culture show. The action is being launched by Sean Jordan, Bruce Greene and Yaniv Fituci on behalf of the group. They say the network intentionally misclassified them and others as exempt to not pay “all the wages to which they were and are entitled under federal and California law” when they worked over 40 hours a week.

The three, who are seeking a five- to seven-day jury trial, claim that, among other infractions, they were denied breaks and forced to drive 120 miles back home from a location shoot because the network wouldn’t pay for hotel rooms. They also claim that just last month one of the show’s executive producers “made a point of chastising” Jordan, who still works for G4, about requesting the show to hire more people to meet the increasing work load. They also allege that G4 and NBCUniversal not only failed to maintain accurate payrolls and withheld wages but “committed unfair business in an effort to increase profits and to gain an unfair business advantage at the expense of Plaintiffs and others similarly situated and the public.” They are seeking “restitution of all monies due to Plaintiffs and the members of the plaintiff class” as “penalties pursuant to California Labor Code Sections and various legal fees. The proposed suit also cites unnamed Defendants who acted on behalf of G4 and NBC. Green and Fituci left Attack Of The Show in 2011 after four years. Jordan joined the show in 2006 and is still there. Carol L. Gillam and Annette Salazar-Shreibati of LA’s Gillam Law Firm represent the trio.

27 Comments

I hope they succeed – G4 is known for two things – top heavy, incompetent executives and squeezing every drop out of their talented employees before throwing them away for a new batch.

A person • on Jul 30, 2012 6:43 pm

From what I know about basic cable paying nothing and withholding as long as they legally can, I have absolutely no doubt that what they claim is true.

Tvcon • on Jul 30, 2012 6:43 pm

They should just pulled the plug on that abomination of a network.

Anthony • on Jul 30, 2012 6:43 pm

Well, it is hard to tell without actually knowing what their job duties were. From what I know about the FLSA laws I could reasonably see them as being considered exempt (all depending on the ins and outs of that particular position). However if they truly weren’t performing exempt work however, I wish them luck.

NotQuiteRight • on Jul 30, 2012 6:43 pm

I’ve heard nightmares about that place. It’s no wonder that AOTS and X-Play are the only original shows still on the schedule, and they go through talent like shotgun shells at a redneck wedding.

WGARep • on Jul 30, 2012 6:43 pm

Wasn’t Attack Of The Show one of the NBC-U productions that was seeking WGA representation for their writers and writing segment producers ? What happened with that campaign? Anybody know?

writer • on Jul 30, 2012 6:43 pm

The writers on Chelsea, who were the big chip in that push, went union and screwed over all the writers from other shows who had signed cards. Without Chelsea, they couldn’t pull it off.

Anonymous • on Jul 30, 2012 6:43 pm

Watching G4 is like the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark, if you close your eyes everything will be ok.

Cops4Life • on Jul 30, 2012 6:43 pm

I hope G4 dumps AOTS. That’s another hour where we could be watching Cops or Cheaters. Figure it out already!

Alex Gregory • on Jul 30, 2012 6:43 pm

G4 utterly defines the term “executive meddling”. The way they’ve destroyed any sense of goodwill in their programming and staff is the case study others should read and learn what not to do.

It seems that years after Russ Pitts’ tell-all about G4’s sketchy business practices and the way they treat the producers of Attack the Show (formerly The Screen Savers), NOTHING has changed over there. Tsk tsk.

Jack • on Jul 30, 2012 6:43 pm

I miss the old days of TechTV. I 1st learned of Mac OS X from Leo Laporte.

This Guy • on Jul 30, 2012 6:43 pm

I worked there and with them. I know what its like over there and they are pretty much making a big deal over nothing. AOTS is a great show that takes care of a huge demographic very well. Mostly people that think they know whats cool talk shit about it because its above their head.

These guys are 100% trashing their careers. Over some last min effort to try and bring down the man over some extra hours? Seems very petty to me.

Audrey Too • on Jul 30, 2012 6:43 pm

Ridiculous. We’re not talking about Sinclair Lewis working conditions in Hollywood. You don’t like it, quit. You pay your dues in this town and the work ethic of today’s so-called up and comers is non-exsistent. Could you imagine if Lew Wasserman and his ilk had filed a suit because they didn’t like how hard they had to work in the MCA mailroom. Really! These wannabes all want to be running a studio and not actually do the work to get there. How anyone can file a lawsuit against their employer and still have the audacity to come to work is unfathomable to me. Here in La-La land, we’re hardly working in coal mines or construction, the kind of jobs the labor laws are designed to protect. A bunch of coddled TV writer/producers covering video games and movies who think it’s too hard to work on a cable TV show should really consider finding a new line of work. This is almost as bad as those interns at Fox who were shocked – shocked! – that they would have to fetch coffee and make xeroxes. The horror, the horror…

Dick • on Jul 30, 2012 6:43 pm

When a company changes your job title, without informing you, so they don’t have to pay you your OT, that’s not legal. Glad to see you’re the dumba$$ that would let a company walk all over you.

woodrow • on Jul 30, 2012 6:43 pm

I edited at G4 for one week. It took three months about a dozen phone calls and several stop by’s before I was paid. Total A holes.

Martin • on Jul 30, 2012 6:43 pm

I hope everything’s going to be all right. I love that show! Kevin and Olivia are hilarious!

Anonymous • on Jul 30, 2012 6:43 pm

If you love the show so much, I would have thought that you were aware that Kevin left the network close to 2 months ago & Olivia hasn’t been there for well over a year. The network as a whole has just steadily been going downhill for some time. I wish Candice & the rest of the AOTS crew the best, but I have my doubts about how much longer they can keep the show or the network relevent.

d • on Jul 30, 2012 6:43 pm

There’s a television network called G4?

RPF • on Jul 30, 2012 6:43 pm

G4 is still in business?

If the shoe fits... you must acquit... • on Jul 30, 2012 6:43 pm

One exempt aspect according to the State of CA labor code:

Any employee who is engaged in work that is primarily intellectual, managerial, or creative, and which requires exercise of discretion and independent judgment, and for which the remuneration is not less than two times the monthly State minimum wage for full time employment

non-exempt • on Jul 30, 2012 6:43 pm

I’d love it if enough lawsuits like these happen to finally convince someone to look at “exempt” classifications at every entertainment company. I’ve worked on plenty of shows and been classified as exempt despite not setting my own hours, not being free to make my own decisions (or use “independent judgement”)- essentially a step above a PA, and classified as exempt somehow so no one has to pay me OT. I know plenty of others in the same boat.

J Coop • on Jul 30, 2012 6:43 pm

I would think that Wage order #12 from the California Industrial Welfare Commission would also be applicable here. Though in my experience, most companies choose to ignore half of the regulations in that document.

MuttonChop • on Jul 30, 2012 6:43 pm

They give lofty “Producer” titles so they can pay a very dubious day rate and work these guys into the ground. Editors and others who work by the hour make more money than Producers there. These shows are seriously understaffed and breed burnout, not seasoned producers. And the ceiling is so low, they have to go elsewhere because there’s nowhere to go within their lame ass framework. It’s the incompetence and arrogance of the top people in this case. It will fall by it’s own weight.

Martin • on Jul 30, 2012 6:43 pm

Do you remember the time when Olivia ate hot dogs that were hanging from the ceiling? She ate over 3000, and broke the world record! I still don’t know how she did it. Hot dogs are salty!